Search results for: Kuh Lisa Porter

This article presents a qualitative case study, which examined the relationship between conversations during formal collaborative experiences and the actual classroom practice of early childhood teachers in a district, Head Start, and university lab school. Three elements related to the development of communities of practice emerged from this study: (a) parallel processes that promoted the transfer of teacher talk into practices that enriched classroom environments; (b) administratively supported collective control of curriculum by teachers promotes a practice-based focus; and (c) use of protocols actively guides the content and process of teachers’ conversations. This study illustrates the importance of group routines and intentions, collective ownership of curriculum, and their role in the development of productive parallel processes.